Electrolytic appliance for treating surfaces



Dec. 27, 1966 E. G. FRANKLIN ELECTROLYTIC APPLIANCE FOR TREATING SURFACES Filed Sept. 5, 1963 United States Patent O 3,294,664 ELECTROLYTIC APPLIANCE FOR TREATING SURFACES Edmond G. Franklin, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 7 Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 305,974 4 Claims. (Cl. 204-224) The present invention relates to the method of and apparatus for treating surfaces by electrotlytic action.

The device of the invention may be used to merely clean any surface, to clean a painted surface, to brighten a painted surface by removing the dull surface skin to expose the bright paint of the original color or to polish soiled or stained metallic and other surfaces.

According to the invention direct current of about 24 volts is applied to two electrodes insulated from each other so that one forms a cathode and the other an anode. The working faces of the electrodes are covered With a cloth soaked with a water solution of sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. Where the word carbonate solution is used herein it is intended to include bicarbonate solution.

The soaked cloth thus carries the electrolytic solution and when a direct current is applied, free alkali (NaOl-I) is liberated at the cathode.

Other products of the electrolysis are gaseous and thus aid in loosening the dirt from the surface being treated.

The free alkali is a potent cleaning agent and in order to regulate its concentration a rheostat is provided in'the electric circuit to vary the current applied.

According to one form of the invention the device is a' portable hand appliance, provided with a replaceable battery for supplying the direct current, and a removable container for holding the carbonate solution.

According to a second form of the invention the device is mounted on the end of a suction cleaner hose and forms the nozzle. The solution container is mounted on top of the nozzle and the electrodes are positioned within the nozzle, Direct current is supplied by means of wires extending along the hose to the suction cleaner, a rectifiertransformer being provided at the cleaner for transforming the current from A0. to DC. and to reduce the voltage and thus avoid shock- (hazards.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one modification of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic wiring diagram for the modification of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a view, partly in section showing a second modification of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device comprises an applicator section and a handle section 11 extending at an angle to each other so that the device may be easily manipulated. The applicator comprises two electrodes 12 and 13, which are preferably made of nickel or aluminum, and extend transversely of the appliance, their length being determined by the desired width of the appliance which may be of any selected width, preferably 4 to 6 inches.

The electrodes 12 and 13 are of angled formation with horizontal legs 14 and 15 presenting working faces facing the surface to be cleaned.

A wash cloth 16, preferably made of asbestos, is applied to the legs 14 and 15 of the electrodes, and, as will appear, carries the electrolytic solution of the device.

The electrodes 12 and 13 are insulated from each other by insulating material 17 of any suitable character, and are surrounded by a plastic housing 18.

A dispensing tube 19 of plastic insulating material, extends downwardly through the insulation 17 to discharge liquid onto the cloth or pad 16.

A valve mechanism, generally indicated by the reference character 20 is positioned within the upper end of tube 19 to control the flow of solution to the cloth 16.

The handle sectionll includes an extension 21 of the housing 18. The extension 21 includes an end closure 22 and is split longitudinally the lower half 23 being pivoted at 24 to the section 10 and latched to end 22 by latch 24.

Housed within the handle extension 21 is a receptacle 25 having a nozzle 26 communicating with the dispensing tube 19 above the seat for the valve 20. The receptacle 25 contains the sodium carbonate solution and may be of the aerosol type in which the liquid is under gas pressure and is dispensed when the valve 20 is opened by a manual pressure applied to the valve actuator 27. The receptacle 25 is pressed against ribs 25 by a spring 28 secured to the partition 29.

A 24 volt electric battery 30 is removably mounted in the outer end of handle 11 and is held against lugs 31 by a spring 32 secured to the end 22 of the handle as shown.

The battery is provided with terminals 33 and 34. The terminal 34 is connected to the electrode 13 by a conductor 35 and the terminal 33 is connected to one side of a rheostat 37 by a conductor 36. The other side of the rheostat 37 is connected to the electrode 12 by a conductor 38.

The rheostat 37 acts both as an on-olf switch and as a means for varying the electric current supplied to the electrodes.

Interiorly, the wall of handle is provided with a channel 39 in which the conductors 35 and 36 are positioned.

Operation of Figs. 1 and 2 The rheostat 37 is turned to its on position but no current will flow because the cloth 16 is dry and thus nonconducting. The valve lever 27 is then depressed to wet the cloth 16 with the carbonate solution.

When the cloth 16 is wet, the appliance is applied to the surface to be treated and the rheostat 37 adjusted to supply the proper current to the electrodes. The proper amount of alkali is thus generated at the cloth 16 to perform the particular surface treating or cleaning operation desired. v

When the cleaning operation is finished the rheostat is turned to its off position and the cloth thoroughly washed to remove any accumulated dirt.

The surface just cleaned should be wiped with wet or dry cloths to remove residual dirt from the surface just cleaned.

The valve 20 may be opened to dispense solution with the rheostat off as an aid in cleaning the surface and cloth 16 after the device has been used.

In the modification of FIG. 3, the electrolytic unit 40 is in all respects the same as that described in connection with FIG. 1.

The unit 40 is supported within a suction nozzle 41 in any suitable manner so as to support the suction mouth 42 slightly above the floor and to provide a suction opening 43 surrounding the unit 40.

A solution tank 44 is mounted on top of the wand 45 interiorly connected to the nozzle 41. A plastic tube 46 extends downwardly from the tank 44 to the asbestos cloth 47 as in the first modification.

The upper end of tube 46 forms a seat for a valve 48 adjustably mounted by being screw threaded through a nut 49 suitably secured to the top of the tank 44 and provided with a manipulating knob 50. A removable cap 51 is provided on the top of tank 44 so that it may be refilled when empty.

The wand 45 is connected to the suction inlet of a suction cleaner by a flexible hose 52. The cleaner is provided with a rectifier of known type which changes the 110 A.C. current to 24 volts DC.

The electrodes of unit 40 are connected to the rectifier by conductors 53 and 54 which may be embedded in the wall of hose 52. A rheostat 55 is connected in the circuit in order to control the current supplied to the electrodes.

The rheostat is preferably of the type which will open the circuit so that the suction cleaner may be operated with the electrode unit off.

Operation of Fig. 3

The suction cleaner is started including the rectifier and a suction Will be applied at the nozzle mouth 42. As the nozzle 41 is moved about the valve 48 is set at the proper position to dispense carbonate solution at the proper rate. The rheostat 55 is set to provide the proper current to the electrodes.

As the liquid is dispensed electrolysis causes alkali water and gases to be released at the cloth 47 so as to clean the surface as the nozzle is'moved about.

The dirty water and gases are immediately picked up in the suction air stream and deposited into a suitable water air separator in the suction air stream ahead of the motor-fan unit.

When one area is cleaned the nozzle is moved to another area and the process continued until the entire surface has been cleaned.

The rheostat 55 may be turned to its off position and the nozzle moved about while dispensing solution so as to sort of rinse the surface and at the same time drying it.

The joint between the wand 45 and hose is preferably detachable and after a cleaning operation is completed the wand is preferably detached and the cloth 47 thoroughly washed in clean water.

While I have shown and described but two embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that those embodiments are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but wish to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A surface treating appliance comprising, an applicator section for application to the surface to be treated, and a handle section, said applicator section including a vertically extending casing having an enlarged open ended lower mouth porton, a pair of angle shaped electrodes positioned in the lower end of said applicator section with the short legs of said angles extending laterally into said enlarged mouth, and with the long legs extending upwardly into the lower portion of said applicator section, insulating material insulating said electrodes from each other and from said casing, asbestos cloth surrounding the short legs of said electrodes and extending between said electrodes, a liquid dispensing tube extending upwardly from said cloth, through said insulating material and into the upper portion of said applicator casing, said tube being provided with a valve seat adjacent its upper end, a valve for opening and closing said valve seat and including a 1 4 stem extending upwardly to a valve actuator positioned on top and exteriorly of said applicator casing, a port formed in said tube above said valve seat, said handle section including two compartments, the innermost of which receives a liquid carbonate container having a nozzle for entry into said port and the outermost of which receives a dry cell battery, electric conductors including a rheostat for connecting the terminals of said battery to said electrodes, the lower portion of said handle being pivoted to the upper portion whereby said receptacle and battery may be removed and replaced.

2. A surface treating appliance comprising, an applicator section and a handle section extending at an angle trodes positioned in said applicator section, porous solution carrying means bridging the free ends of said electrodes, said handle section containing a container for sodium carbonate solution and a dry cell battery, means for dispensing liquid from said container to said porous solution carrying means and electric conductors including a rheostat for connecting the terminals of said battery to said electrodes.

3. In combination, a suction nozzle, an electrolytic surface treating device positioned within said nozzle, said electrolytic device comprising a pair of electrodes positioned within said nozzle and each having a leg facing the mouth of said nozzle and a leg extending upwardly into said nozzle and insulated from each other, a cloth of textile material surrounding and connecting the pair of legs which face said mouth, said electrolytic device being spaced from the walls of said nozzle including said mouth to provide a pas-sage for air about said device, a sodium carbonate solution receptacle mounted on top of said nozzle, means for dispensing liquid from said receptacle to said cloth, a manipulating Wand connected to said nozzle, said wand adapted to be connected to a suction cleaner by means of a hose having electric conductors embedded in its wall and adapted to be connected to a low voltage D.C. rectifier mounted on said cleaner and a rheostat mounted on said wand, one of said electric conductors being connected to one of said electrodes, the other of said electric conductors being connected to one side of said rheostat and the other side of said rheostat being connected to the other of said electrodes.

4. An electrolytic surface treating device comprising, an applicator section and a handle section extending at an angle thereto, said applicator section including a pair of electrodes insulated from each other and having downwardly facing working faces, porous solution carrying means bridging said working faces, a solution container, means for dispensing liquid from said container to said porous solution carrying means and means for supplying a DC. current to said electrodes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,319,192 10/1919 Von Madeler et a1. 204224 2,421,027 5/1947 Isaacson 204-141 2,798,849 7/ 1957 Lindsay 204224 JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner.

H. M. FLOURNOY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SURFACE TREATING APPLIANCE COMPRISING, AN APPLICATOR SECTION FOR APPLICATION TO THE SURFACE TO BE TREATED, AND A HANDLE SECTION, SAID APPLICATOR SECTION INCLUDING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CASING HAVING AN ENLARGED OPEN ENDED LOWER MOUTH PORTION, A PAIR OF ANGLE SHAPED ELECTRODES POSITIONED IN THE LOWER END OF SAID APPLICATOR SECTION WITH THE SHORT LEGS OF SAID ANGLES EXTENDING LATERALLY INTO SAID ENLARGED MOUTH, AND WITH THE LONG LEGS EXTENDING UPWARDLY INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID APPLICATOR SECTION, INSULATING MATERIAL INSULATING SAID ELECTRODES FOR EACH OTHER AND FROM SAID CASING, ASBESTOS CLOTH SURROUNDING THE SHORT LEGS OF SAID ELECTRODES AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, A LIQUID DISPENSING TUBE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CLOTH, THROUGH SAID INSULTING MATERIAL AND INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID APPLICATOR CASING, SAID TUBE BEING PROVIDED WITH A VELVET SEAT ADJACENT ITS UPPER END, A VELVE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID VELVE SET AND INCLUDING A STEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO A VELVE ACTUATOR POSITIONED ON TOP AND EXTERIORLY OF SAID APPLICATOR CASING, A PORT FORMED IN SAID TUBE ABOVE SAID VOLVE SEAT, SAID HANDLE SECTION INCLUDING TWO COMPARTMENTS, THE INNERMOST OF WHICH RECEIVES A LIQUID CARBONATE CONTAINER HAVING A NOZZLE FOR ENTRY INTO SAID PORT AND THE OUTERMOST OF WHICH RECEIVES A DRY CELL BATTERY, ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR INCLUDING TO RHEOSTAT FOR CONNECTING THE TERMINALS OF SAID BATTERY TO SAID ELECTRODES, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID HANDLE BEING PIVOTED TO THE UPPER PORTION WHEREBY SAID RECEPTACLE AND BATTERY MAY BE MOVED AND REPLACED. 